Weight control, appetite control and/or weight loss is an extremely difficult challenge to some people as well as to the society of many countries. Obesity reduces the life quality of the individuals and imposes expenses to the person and/or to the society in respect of the consequences due to an increased risk of diseases.
Overweight and obesity are increasing problems worldwide and there is a significant and ever increasing market for products and services directed at the problem. Naturally derived and synthetic products aimed at reducing appetite, increasing metabolism, preventing fat uptake are being marketed as are a number of high fibre products aimed at adding “bulk” to today's calorie dense diet.
In extreme cases of obesity surgical methods have been established including gastric restriction by insertion of balloons, removal of part of the stomach, inducing scar tissues in the stomach to make functional stomach volume smaller and gastric bypass operations minimizing the body's ability to absorb fat. In addition non-metabolisable food additives are being developed and marketed as replacements for fat and sugar.
Existing weight control remedies are aimed at reducing appetite by either systemic (hormonal) control of satiety or metabolic rate or by induction of mechanical satiety i.e. low (no) calorie fibre supplements. The systemic approach has some harmful side effects primarily on the cardio-vascular system. The mechanical approach does not present serious side effects but on the other hand do not always result in the desired weight reduction/control as the body adapts to the lower caloric intake by lowering the metabolic rate.
The document CN 1126038 describes a weight-reducing chewing gum. The weight-losing chewing gum is made from 13 Chinese-medicinal components such as raw haw, scabish, raw fleece flower root, white chrysanthemum flower, etc, defatted milk powder or whey powder, gel, proteoglycan, pepper powder, extracted liquid of mint in anhydrous alcohole, essence, hydroxypropyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and features its medical functions e.g. of losing weight.
WO 2005/016007 describes a protein enhanced, low carbohydrate wafer having protein material in a concentration of about 26% to about 99% of the wafer. The wafer may contain whey protein.
US 2005/0084592 describes a edible composition comprising at least 1% wt protein and 0.1-5% wt of a biopolymer thickening agent. The composition has a gel strength of at least 10 KPa, and is described to have good satiety effects.
Existing remedies for weight control/loss employ one of 4 strategies                Induction of mechanical satiety                    Fibre products                        Inhibition of fat uptake from the intestine                    Synthetic drugs (e.g. orlistat)            Fibre products                        Induction of systemic (“hormonal”) satiety                    Synthetic drugs (e.g. sibutramine)                        Increasing the metabolic rate                    Both synthetic (amphetamines) and naturally occurring (ephedrine, caffeine) CNS stimulants exist.                        
The first 3 strategies are aimed at the elimination of calories from the diet, while the fourth strategy is aimed at increasing the metabolism of ingested calories thereby leaving fewer calories for storage of fat. The fourth strategy is also used in combination with diets in order to prevent the lowering of metabolic rate during times of caloric restriction that we are genetically programmed for. The remedies employing the last 3 strategies all have side effects ranging from the embarrassing/impractical (flatulence, diarrea) to the potentially fatal (elevated blood pressure, stroke, ischemia).
Eating behaviour is influenced by hormonal signals in the blood stream (e.g. CCK, Insulin, Glucagon, ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1), by sensory signals (vision, taste, smell), by nerve signals from the stomach reporting fullness via mechanical receptors (baroreceptors).
As human genetic setup is still the same as in our hunter/gatherer ancestors, the body will respond to caloric restriction by lowering the metabolic rate using the ingested energy more efficiently and by storing fat in times of plenty of energy. In order to obtain a weight loss when restricting the intake of calories it is therefore necessary to maintain a metabolic rate comparable to the rate that works under no restriction of energy intake.
The current invention is directed to products that can be sold as a dietary supplement that temporarily reduces gastric volume and which preferrably at the same time induces chemical satiety and thereby reduces the appetite of an individual and that can be administered without the involvement of a physician. Furthermore the product is developed to include ingredients that favour a high metabolic rate in the body of the individual.